Shaping urban image in late antique Ephesos.

In Late Antiquity, sculpture continued to play a crucial role in urban culture, but old and new images in new contexts shaped unique urban landscapes, and the accompanying inscriptions provide information about the epigraphic habit. The study of the urban image of the Late Antique city has become increasingly prevalent in recent decades, understood as a transformative process that defies generalization as it is subject to local differences. The project places Ephesus (TR) at the center of the investigation and contributes to the ongoing discussion about the processes of change at the end of antiquity. How does sculpture contribute to the shaping of urban space in late antiquity? What were the intentions behind the placement of old and newly created statues/reliefs (in marble and bronze) along the streets and squares, in conjunction with the surrounding architectural framework? This question constitutes the core of the project, which is dedicated to the archaeological and epigraphic-historical analysis of Late Antique sculpture in the public space of Ephesos between the time of Diocletian and Heraclius, c. 280-650 AD. The aim is to describe the individuality of Ephesus and to evaluate it in the context of other provincial capitals. To approach images in urban space, it is crucial to consider the broader context of both old and new statuary on display in Late Antique Ephesos. Because new contexts shape new content, this project (for 3 years) combines the following aspects: find places of sculpture and bases and their archaeological contexts; examination of all the sculpture on display in public space; form and content of inscribed bases; analysis of buildings with sculpture in their facades (fountains, gates etc.) at the streets and squares of the city. The results will be discussed in the context of meaning of sculpture in political, commercial, and other important meeting places. This is the first comprehensive study of Ephesos to address the main question through an examination of sculpture and epigraphy with the aid of all available documentation material. It will discuss Ephesos in a wide range of archaeological contexts in Asia Minor and the Empire, and will finally allow for a new archaeological-historical interpretation of late antique Ephesos.